Fall back into Stamping!

 Hey Friends!

I've just come off of one of our busiest and most fun summers ever! We packed a lot of camping, adventure, family, friends and recreation into 3 months as the summers can be very short in Montana! I hope yours was spectacular and you enjoyed all the things that you love the most.

Now, my favorite season of the year is here... Autumn! I love the sights, smells, tastes and colors of Fall. When I was a little girl, I looked forward to fall because I knew my birthday was coming up in November. Now, I just love fall and don't worry too much about the birthday, other than be very grateful to God for another one. 

I'm having some fun with the fall-themed things in our Jul-Dec Mini Catalog. You can see a PDF copy on the right ===>>> 

I spent some time playing recently with the paper and ink representing this time of year.

The Designer Series Paper used here is called "Rustic Harvest". One side features very vibrant colors of fall on a black background. The other side is various black and white designs, one of which I sponged with daubers in the first card.  The large maple leaf in the first card was inked up with Crushed Curry and then I used a dauber with some Cajun Craze on it to add a little different color ink to the stamp BEFORE stamping. Being creative is easy with all of Stampin'Up!'s wonderful, relevant and quality products. Check out my calendar for upcoming events and classes or contact me if you're curious about stamping and card making!

Keep on Stampin',

Sarah

Faith Over Fear

Hey Stampers!

I'm back with some cards from the new Annual Catalog, slowly rolling out some fun designs inspired by new products. My biggest inspiration always comes from our fabulous Designer Series Paper. I love the different color schemes and the creative themes SU comes up with. Today's card features the "Hues of Happiness" DSP and it has an amazing array of bright and cheery colors to drawn from.  

 The pinks and yellows are so vibrant, aren't they!  I did a quick background stamp on my first layer of DSP with the "Rays of Light" background stamp just to give the paper some additional texture. I then framed a piece of the Hues of Happiness DSP with some Soft Suede card stock and chose to use the new wonderful "Charming Sentiments" bundle for my sentiment. What makes this bundle special is that each sentiment coordinates with a die that closely cuts it out. I love having a die to take care of the fussy cutting that I don't always enjoy doing! I used a punch for some card stock sprigs and my card was done!

Here's a better picture of all the papers in the Hues of Happiness DSP pack!

Gorgeous, aren't they!

Be sure to check out these products and more at the online store where Stampin'Up! has you covered for papercrafting supplies! We carry top of the line supplies, often with discounts and the color coordination we are known for.  You can click on the "shop now" tab to the right to head to the store or click on any of the pictures below!

Happy Stampin'!

Sarah

New Holiday Mini Catalog out today!

 Hey Stampers!

It's time for 2022's version of the Holiday Mini Catalog, or technically referred to as the "July-December Mini Catalog" and Summer Sale-A-Bration.  You can see all the fun new products by clicking on the "shop now" link and then click on the big banners at the top of the page as they scroll by.  I am working on putting up some links to the catalog PDF files and hope to have those on my blog sidebar shortly!

It's so fun to combine new products and I have a great example for you today! 

This fun card combines a bear and stump from the Annual catalog, trees from the new Mini Catalog, camper dies and the notecard itself from the Sale-A-Bration brochure and touch of retired gingham ribbon for a cute little camper curtain. There are unlimited possibilities when you think out of the box and use what you have with some new stuff added in! The products I used are pictured below and you can click on them to get you to the online store!

Let's go stampers and unleash your creative beast!

Sarah

Last Chance Products are going away in 2 days!

 Hey Stampers!

Remember that awesome January-June Mini Catalog that we've been enjoying for the past 6 months? Most of the products go away after June 30 so you have two days left to get some things on your wish list! Here are a few of my favorites!

On the Horizon Bundle - stamps and dies

 Cactus Cuties Bundle - stamps and punch

Flowering Rain Boots Bundle - stamps and dies

Home and Garden Bundle - stamps and dies

Tulip Field Bundle - stamps and dies

Don't miss out on these and some other favorites! Click on the January-June Mini Catalog pic on the right side bar to see the catalog and click on "shop now" to go to the online store. Summer's the perfect time to create, stamp and share what you love with those you love!

Blessings,

Sarah

Introducing the 2022-2024 new In Colors!

 Hey Friends!

It's been awhile since I've blogged.  I had a me-time sort of winter that included some quilting, reading, traveling and more. I stamped some, held a few classes but mostly took a little break from social media. It was refreshing, I have to say!

Since May 3rd has rolled around, I'm hopping on to share the news that we have a new Annual Catalog which you can look at by clicking on the picture of it to the right ====>> and of course, you can see all the products up close and personal in the Online Store - click on "Shop Now" on the right as well!

My favorite new products every year are the new In Colors because color is my favorite component of papercrafting and card making. I think it's because color is also my favorite part of quilting and to be honest, my favorite part of nature. Colors are never ending in their variety and ability to inspire. Here are the newest of Stampin'Up! 's colors!

PARAKEET PARTY

ORCHID OASIS 

TAHITIAN TIDE

STARRY SKY

SWEET SORBET

Aren't they beautiful? I created a card front (to be used in the future) and featured some of the different products we carry in each color. There is ombre glimmer paper, baker's twine, Designer Series Paper, ink and of course stamps that can go with any color. I added them to the supply link below so you can readily look them up in the store. There are also Stampin' Blends, our fabulous alcohol markers, in every color, as well as StampNWrite markers, sparkly ribbon and more! Here's a direct link to all the new In Color products:

New 2022-2024 In Color products!

As if that isn't exciting enough, there is also a new promotion if you are interested in joining Stampin'Up! as a demonstrator. You can do it your way by holding classes, blogging, taking orders from others OR you can be your best and only customer and enjoy a discount on all your orders. I'd love to talk with you if you're interested at all. 

The promotion lasts the month of May and includes the regular Starter Kit deal which is $125 worth of SU products, all your choices, for only $99. In addition, you get a In Color sample pack including all five ink pads, an 8-1/2 x 11 paper pack including cardstock in all 5 colors and a pack of In Color Designer Series Paper - all this for free! It's a $66.50 value and it's added to your Starter Kit for free if you join in May.

Here's more information from Stampin'Up!:

IN COLOR STARTER KIT

Do you love to craft? Would you like to earn a supplemental income? Do you want to be a part of a fantastic community of creative people? Then becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator may be the perfect opportunity for you. Join now and with your Starter Kit you’ll also receive FREE 2022–2024 In Color products, including In Color Grid Paper, In Color Ink Pad Collection, In Color Cardstock Assortment Collection, and In Color 6" x 6" (15.2 x 15.2 cm) Designer Series Paper Assortments. That’s an additional $66.50 value of products just for joining the team!

I hope you're as excited as I am about these new In Colors! Watch for some creations soon featuring them!

And one more fun In Color product! We now have quality tumblers in all the colors! They are in the Online Store as well and my guess is they will sell out fast!

I'm only showing you one picture but the tumblers come in all five colors! Who doesn't need an extra tumbler?!!

Keep on Stampin'!

Sarah

It's a new year, a new Mini Catalog and time for a "Friendly Hello" ;)

Hey Friends!

Thanks so much to those of you who checked out my blog post yesterday, after a somewhat long hiatus. I really appreciate it and would love to also get some comments if you are tempted at all! If you didn't see it, scroll down and you'll be there!

As I mentioned yesterday, Sale-A-Bration is back for January and February. The brochure featuring the freebies is loaded with paper and stamps, which we always need more of. One offering requires a $100 purchase but is a bundle of stamps and Designer Series Paper. It's called "Friendly Hello" and it features of soft, welcoming and peaceful palette of Fresh Freesia, Granny Apple Green, Petal Pink, Pool Party and Shaded Spruce. It's delightfully pretty and I couldn't wait to play with the set. Here are a couple of things I came up with:

 In both of these cards, you get a good look at several of the Designer Series Paper choices and how the colors magically coordinate. I wouldn't have thought of adding the darker Shaded Spruce to this lineup, but it gives the rest of the colors an anchor. You can see what I mean in the stripe background paper featured in the second card. I enjoyed using my Blends alcohol markers as well, coloring the bird and flowers on the top card and the background of the sentiment on the bottom card.  I used a corner punch on the top card and a new twig/sprig punch called "Bough Punch" that is featured in the new mini catalog. As always, I've included a supply list at the bottom of this post. 

Are you in the creative and stamping doldrums? Does your mojo need more mo and more jo? A new mini catalog and a Sale-A-Bration will be just the thing to inspire you and get you back to your favorite hobby. I especially love creating with the gorgeous spring themes of tulips, daffodils and more when we are deep, deep in the heart of winter in SW Montana with no spring in sight for months!  Check out the new mini catalog by clicking on the picture of it on the right====>>> as well as the SAB brochure. Let me know what your favorite new set is and we can get it ordered for you, or you can click on the shop tab and head right to the online store. 

I'm slowly gaining some steam on my stamping craftiness and invite you to check out my blog again for more new ideas and fun!

Happy Stampin'!

Sarah

Stamping for fun again with Amazing Silhouettes

 Hey friends!

You may or may not have noticed that I've been very quiet on my blog and other social media platforms. That wasn't for any drastic reason and I haven't disappeared off the planet. I just took a break that coincided with the holidays. The month of December was filled with all the Christmas stuff that was planned and some other things that weren't planned. It was a time of family, music, festivities, friends, so much baking and Hallmark Christmas movies. It was a much needed break for me to just do some things I really enjoy and take a big break from all the sentences that start with "today I should....." I hope your holiday season held special moments for you as well. Life also takes unexpected turns and twists. The past 2 weeks have been spent helping a friend die well. Her eventual death was determined by her cancer diagnosis but the timing caught me off guard. I've learned a lot about that process after going through it with several close friends and family and the one thing I try to do is to show up. Show up for those emergency phone calls, special favors, icky tasks, whatever. Showing up goes a long way for others and it is never time wasted or misspent. 

And now, I'm back to offering some classes and thinking about stamping again. I've been excited about several products in the new Jan-June Mini Catalog, have ordered several and am only just starting to play. I'll be sharing some of my ideas in the coming weeks and days, exploring some new stamps, dies and even techniques as we kick off 2022.  

I also have a challenge for you  - I'm starting a #onecardaweek campaign with the idea being to send out one card every week this year. I have quite a stash of cards and of course, it's always fun to make more so having a card on hand isn't the problem. Taking the time to jot a quick note and getting it in the mailbox is a problem!  I'm here to conquer that one!! Are you with me? I hope so!

Here's a fun take on a new silhouette stamp set that I just love. It's called "Amazing Silhouettes" and has 3 great images that created a reverse stamping effect. The negative area surrounding the image is what takes on the color and the design is left unstamped. A picture is worth a thousand words!

I couldn't decide what color to use so I came up with the creative idea of stamping it four times! It's easy to create a four panel card with a piece of 12" x 5-1/2" card stock. I used some retired embossed kraft cardstock from prior Stampin'Up! catalogs. I then used a 5-1/2" x 2-1/2" piece of Very Vanilla for each each panel. I chose to use four of this year's In Colors including Soft Succulent, Fresh Fresia, Polished Pink and Pale Papaya. While I was trying to figure out the what and where part of a sentiment, the idea came to me to stamp on each panel, one word. The "Biggest Wish" set was perfect as it has large block and cursive fonts with several pertinent words. 

Since all these folds didn't stay together, I added some fun on the outside including some In-Color Vellum flowers and leaves and some random retired SU cording. Here's a peak at the card when it's closed:

Of course, some In-Color sparkly bing made it just perfect. This was a fun card to design and an even more fun one to offer at a class I had recently. 

I hope I've inspired you! Check out the products I used below and clicking on any of them will take you to the online store. There are all kinds of new things and we are at the beginning of our winter Sale-A-Bration promotion. For every $50 you spend, you can get a free product from the SAB brochure! Details are on the website or you can shoot me a question!

So, let's start this new year off creatively and let's start stamping again and remember, #onecardaweek!

Happy Stampin'!

Sarah

New Jan-June Mini Catalog Launch and Sale-A-Bration TODAY!

 Hey Stampin' Friends!

Today's the day the newest mini catalog launches - the Jan-June Mini Catalog and another Sale-A-Bration promotion to accompany it! I'm excited to get back to some serious stamping after a few weeks of Christmas fun and festivities. Winter is  such a great time to explore your stamping hobby with fresh new products and ideas. This new mini catalog will launch you into everything coming up like Valentine's Day, all the spring and summer holidays and more. There are brand new stamps, dies, Designer Series Paper and all the doodads you heart could hope for. I'll be scheduling some classes and loading my blog and Pinterest with lots of new ideas to help you bring out your creative beast!

If you want to see the new Mini Catalog, you can click on the picture at the right ====>>> and you'll be directed to a PDF copy of the catalog you can browse through and even download for future reference. I also have print copies available so let me know if you'd like a catalog.

The same is true for Sale-A-Bration.  A simple click on that pic on the right =====>> will take you to a PDF copy of that brochure. As a reminder, Sale-A-Bration is a great promotion that rewards you for shopping with me. For every $50 you spend, you can choose a free SAB product from the brochure. Please note, a couple of items require a $100 purchase. Let me know if you have any questions and lets start stamping again in 2022!

I also have made a New Year's Resolution I would love to share and challenge you to also make. This is a good one as it has nothing to do with diet or exercise. How about resolving to send out one card a week for the whole year. This can be old cards that you've made and haven't used yet or even new cards that you make each week. I think it's a great way to spread some love and cheer throughout the year (rhyme intentional !!) and will help me thin out my supply of cards and spur me on to make new ones. I've even created a hashtag so send your card and then share it on social media or on my Facebook page, "Big Sky Stampin' " Let's share our creations for real with cards and virtually with each other! The hashtag is 

#onecardaweek

Simple, no stress and fun! Let's get stamping and make 2022 a fabulous year!

Blessings,

Sarah